Well drilling plant



May 12, 1942. M. "r. ARCHER 2,282,597-

WELL DRILLING PLANT Filed Sept. 2, 1958 (mam/am Patented May 12, 1942UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,282,597 WELL DRIILING PLANT Merton T.Archer, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to The National Supply Company,Pittsburgh, Pa 9. corporation of Pennsylvania Application September 2,1938, Serial No. 228,135

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for the drilling ofwells, and more particularly to the power plant for driving thedifierent mechanisms used in the. rotary process of well drilling.

In the rotary process of drilling wells as now -more mud, or so-calledslush pumps, are employed which must be supplied with sufilcient powerto deliver the required amount of mud fluid. Under different conditionsof operation the requirements of the mud fluid vary so that the powerrequirements for such a pump or pumps may vary through wide limitations.

There is. also commonly employed in this process of drilling wells amechanism knownas a drawworks, which is a hoist, and the powerrequirements for which vary over wide ranges so that a large amount ofpower may be required at some interval of time to lift the drill pipeout of the hole while the rotary machine and one or drilling mechanismand the pumping mechanism may be synchronously driven by independentprime movers while a thirdprime mover is 3 operable to assist in drivingeither or both of certain mechanism, or is available for the purpose ofindependently making up mud for the drilling fluid.

more of the slush pumps are idle. The variable I and fluctuating powerdemands have not heretofore been successfully met by conventional rigdrives wherein internal combustion engines are employed. The commondimculty encountered in such internal combustion engine power plants arethat they are too inflexible to meet the widely varying power demands.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide a driven apparatushaving a power plant of sufllcient flexibility to accommodate all powerrequirements incident to rotary drilling operations.

Another object of my invention is to provide a power plant for rotarydrilling operations in which there are independent prime movers for eachof the mechanisms or machines required in such rotary drillingoperations and wherein there are means provided for compounding any twoor three of such engines to drive any one of the mechanisms or machines.

Another object of my invention is to provide a power plant for rotarydrilling in which the Another object of my invention is to provide arotary drilling apparatus in which there is provided a plurality ofprime movers and pumpingmechanisms between which there is interposed ahydraulic couplingto provide for such variations in speed therebetweenas are incident to series operation of such plurality of pumpingmechanisms.

Another object of my invention is to provide a rotary drilling rig whichincludes a plurality of internal combustion engines which may becompounded for the driving of the drawworks of such drilling rig for thellftingof the drill pipe out of the hole and which includesanindependent engine applicable simultaneously to operate a pump for thefllling of the hole with mud fluid as the drill pipe is withdrawn.

Other objects and advantages of this invention it is believed will beapparent from the following detailed description of a, preferredembodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

The drawing represents a schematic plan of a rotary drilling apparatusand power plant therefor incorporating my invention.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention as illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, I, 2 and 3 indicate prime movers of the internalcombustion type and may be what is commonly referred to as Dieselengines. These engines'may be duplicates of each other and are, asillustrated,

arranged in parallel side by side relation for compactness and for thepurpose of compounding.

As illustrated, each engine may be mounted upon its own skid frame 4, 5and 6, respectively. These skid frames may be mounted in position uponany suitable base or sub-structure commonly provided in such drillingoperations and not hereinillustrated. The drive shaft of each engine, I,2 and 3, is provided with a shaft extension 8, 9 and i0, respectively.-Each of the drive shaft extensions is rotatably supported in a pair ofpedestal bearings ll carried by the respective skid frames.

In addition'to the shaft extension ll) of the engine 3, the engine 3maybe coupled directly to an idler shaft l. The idler shaft 1 is coupledto the shaft in in end to end relation. Flexible couplings I2 areprovided between each engine shaft and its extension shaft and betweenthe extension shaft III and the idler shaft I. These flexible couplingsI2 maybe of any suitable or desirable construction, but are preferred tobe of the disconnecting type whereby through the instrumentality ofshifter levers I3, the extension shafts may be disconnected from theengine shaftsin a mannersimflar to thatof an ordinary clutch. In mannereach engine shaft is selectively coupled to its respective extension themedium of a sheave 35 journaledupon the shaft and the extension shaft I0is selectively coupled to the idler shaft I.

Transmission connections are provided between the respective shafts andthese transmision connections may sheaves operatively connected throughthe medium of multiple V-belt connections.

In order to permit the operation of the prime movers I, 2 and 3independently or conjointly, the transmission connections include asheave I4 which is fixed upon the extension shaft 9 and connectedthrough the mifltiple V-belt connection with a sheave I5 journaled uponthe extension shaft 8.

A friction clutch I6 is provided for releasably clutching the sheave I5to the extension shaft 3. Similarly, a sheave I I is secured to theidler shaft I and connected through a multiple V-belt with a sheave I8mounted upon the extension shaft 9. A clutch I9 of any suitable ordesirable construction is provided for engaging the sheave I8 with theshaft 9. It will be obvious that the coupling I2 between the extensionshaft I0 and idler shaft I may be used to couple these shafts together.Thus depending upon the actuation of take the form of.

the respective couplings, the engines I, 2and 3 may he usedindependently or may be conjointly compounded together.

In addition to these selective transmission connections with at leastone other engine, each of the engines I, 2 and 3 is detachably connectedto drive one of the driven connections or machines essential to theoperation of the drilling rig. Thus the shaft 8 of the engine I isconnected through the transmission illustrated as including a sheave 20fixed upon the shaft 8 with a sheave 2| fixed upon the driven shaftof areverse gear mechanism 22. The reverse gear mechanism 22 is interposedbetween the engine I and the drawworks 23 and is provided with a In thesame manner, the slush pump 34 may be directly driven from me engine 3through extension shaft I0 and adapted to be releasably clutched theretothrough the medium of a clutch 36. A transmission connection,illustrated as of the multiple V-belt type, extends from the sheave to asheave 31 fixed to the driven shaft of the slush pump 34.

It will be apparent that the slush pumps-3| and 34 may be disconnectedfrom theirrespective driving engines 2 and 3 by moving the clutcheswhich may be of the friction type |9 and 35 to their disengagedposition. It will also be apparent that the engine 'I can be disengagedfrom its driven mechanism, that is, the reverse gear 22, by shifting thereverse gear actuating lever 38 to its neutral position, at whichposition, the power take-off sprocket 24 is not driven and the reversegear 22 idles and does not transmit power.

The slush pumps 3| and 34 are operatively associated together so thatthey may be driven independently or in series or in parallel, de-

pending upon the conditions of operation desired or required during therotary drilling of the well. For example, it may be desired to operatethe pump 34 only. In order to connect the pumps so as to permit of suchindividual operation, a header 39 is provided, which header 39 isconnected with the outlets from each of the pumps 3| and 34. The inlets40 and 4| of the pumps 3! and 34 are respectively connected to conduits42 and 43, which conduits are connected into the header conduit 39. Asingle discharge conduit 44 is provided which leads to the customaryhydraulic swivel (not illustratedlusually employed in a rotary drillingrig.

A second discharge conduit 45 is provided'leading from the headerconduit 39 which extends outward to the point where mud is mixed forentry into the intakes 40 or 4! of the pumps 3| power take-off sprocket24 which drives the drawworks drive shaft 25 through a transmissionchain 26. The rotary machine 21 is, asis customary in such drillingapparatus, driven through a transmission connection from the drawworks23.

Theidler shaft 1 is normally driven by the engine 2 and the transmissionconnection proand 34, respectively. The header conduit 39 is providedwith valves 46 and 41, respectively. The auxiliary discharge conduit 45is provided with a valve 48; the conduit 42 is provided with a valve 49;the conduit 43 is provided with a valve 50; the intake conduits 40 and4| are provided with intake valves 5| and 52, respectively.

When only one pump, for example the pump 3|, is desired to be operated,the clutches I9 and 33 are engaged. The valve 48 is normally maintainedclosed except in the mixing of mud, and for the following examples, maybe considered to be maintained closed at all times.

the same through the valve 46 to the discharge In order to drive theslush pump 3| directly line 44. If it is desired to operate the slushpump 34 alone, the clutch 33 may be disengaged and the clutch 35engaged. During this operation the valves 52 and 41 are. open and thevalves 50, 45 and 49 are closed. Mud is then drawn through the intake 4|and discharged by the valve 41 and through the discharge conduit 44.

In order to operate the two pumps 3| and 34 in parallel, both theengines 2 and 3 may be utilized and the clutches I9, 33 and 36 areclosed, and all valves with the exception of valves 49 and 50 are open,then both pumps discharge into the discharge pipe 44.

service and the pump 34 for high pressure service,

in which case the valves 43, 45 and 52 are closed and all other valvesremain open. Mud fluid then enters the intake 40 and is discharged bythe pump 3| through the conduit 43 by the valve into the intake 4| ofthe pump 34 and is discharged by the pump 34 through the header conduit39 by the valve 41 and into the discharge conduit 44.

In the equivalent operation, when the pump 34 is used for low pressureservice and the pump 3| for high pressure service, the engines remaincoupled to the pumps for driving thesame as heretofore described, and inthis case the valves 5|, 50 and 41 are closed and all other valvesremain open. In this case the operation is that themud fluid is taken inthrough-the intake 4| of the pump 34, discharged through the headerconduit 39 through the conduit 42 by the valve 49 into the intake 40 ofthe pump 3| and is discharged from the pump 3| by the valve 43 into thedischarge conduit 44.

The pumps 3| and 34 are,-as is common in such drilling rig, of thepositive displacement type and in operating these pumps in series, it isrequired that the output from the low pressure pump be equal to theinput to the high pressure pump.

Considerable difficulty has heretofore been experienced in endeavoringto control the speeds of the two pumps so that this requirement may bemet. In my present invention this difliculty is overcome by providingtwo separate engines and further by providing a hydraulic coupling 53between each engine and its flexible coupling l2 whereby the engineshaft is connected to its respective extension shaft. The hydrauliccoupling 53 may be of any suitable or desirable construction but is asherein illustrated of the type specifically set forth and disclosed inthe coperiding application of Merton T. Archer and Ernest L. Durrell,Serial No. 215,192, filed June 22, 1938, Patent No. 2,164,173, grantedJune 27, 1939, to which application reference is specifically made forthe construction and, operation of this hydraulic coupling. Thesehydraulic couplings 53 are of such construction and mode of oper- Inorder to accomplish this, a manifold 55 is provided for each couplingmounted upon each output shaft 54 between the hydraulic coupling 53 andthe coupling l2. These manifolds 55 direct the cooling liquid from therespective supply pipes 53 to the hydraulic couplings 53 through apassage formed within the shaft 54. The discharge fluid returns to themanifold 55 through 1 another passage within the shaft 54 and is carriedaway through a discharge conduit 51.

Individual valves 58 may be provided on the individual dischargeconduits and master valves 59 and 50 may be provided for the conduits 56and 51 as illustrated. The internalconstruction of the manifolds 55, theshafts'54 thereof, and the hydraulic coupling 53, is disclosed in thecopending application as hereabove referred to and is not per se claimedherein.

It will be obvious from the foregoing that through the instrumentalityof my invention a power plant for rotary drilling apparatus is pro videdwhich provides independent and individual prime movers for drillingmechanism and each\ pumping mechanism. It also provides the powerplants. which may be combined so that any two or three of the enginesare available to drive any one of the mechanisms, either the drillingmachine, or either of the pumps. I

It will also be evident. that the drilling mechanism and the pumpingmechanism may be separately operated by independent prime movers withone of them available for mud mixing and make-up. It will be furtherobvious that any two engines may be compounded to operate the drawworkswhile the third engine is available to operate a mud pump forcirculating the mud fluid or for filling the casing with mud as thedrill pipe is withdrawn. It will be further 0bvious that the drillingmechanism may be operated with one engine while the other engines may becompounded to operate one mechanism or may operate two mechanisms inseries or in parallel and that the series operation of the mud or slushpumps is facilitated through the use of ttlllie hydraulic couplings ashereinabove set for Having fully described my invention, it is to beunderstood that I do not wish to be limited to ation that minorvariations and speed of the output shafts 54 thereof can be readilyabsorbed eration and any necessary difference in speed of 1 operation ofthe pumps 3| and 34 may be ab-' sorbed by the slip of these hydrauliccouplings.

The use of these couplings 53 also permits the power plant embodying myinvention to be operated so that it does not pick up the load, i. e.,the output shaft 54 does not begin to run until the speed of the engineis increased above idling speed. Therefore each engine can be allowed toidle without turning its extension shaft until such time as its power isrequired, at which. time the engine automatically picks up the load uponincrease in speed.

In order that the working fluid within the hydraulic couplings may notbecome overheated in service, means are preferably provided forcirculating a cooling liquid such, ,for example, as water to and. fromeach hydraulic coupling 53.

the details herein set forth, but my invention is of the full scope ofthe appended claims.

I claim:

'1. In a rotary drilling apparatus, the combination of a pair of pumpingmechanisms of the positive displacement type operatively connected forseries operation, means to drive one of said pumping mechanisms, a primemover, a power take-off shaft adapted to drive the other pumpmgmechanism; a hydraulic coupling operatively interposed between the primemover and the power take-01f shaft and adapted to transmit power to thelatter, the slip of said hydraulic coupling acting to absorb variationsin speed between the prime mover and the pumping mech anism driventhereby which are incident to series operation of the pumpingmechanisms.

2. In a rotary drilling apparatus, the combination of a plurality ofpumping mechanisms of the positive displacement typeoperativelyconnected for series operation, means to drive said pumpingmechanisms including a separate engine for each, power transmissionconnections between each pumping mechanism and its respect1ve engineincluding a hydraulic coupling,- the -slip of said hydraulic couplingacting to absorb variations in speed between each engine and itsspective engine including a hydraulic coupling, 10

the slip of ma hydraulic coupling'acting to absorb variations in speedbetween each engine and its pumping mechanism which are occasioned byseries operation ofthe pumping and power tion connections between two ofsaid engines, including releasable clutch means, whereby the combinedpower 'of both engines -may be available to drive either of theirrespective pumping mec MERTON 'r. manna.

